Welcome to the Beach

It's Labor Day weekend here in Italy (the official date is May 1st) and beach season has officially started.

During the season, like many Milanese, my family can be found anywhere in Liguria (Santa Margherita, Paraggi and Portofino) or in Forte Dei Marmi (Forte) in Tuscany. This weekend we're in Forte having an easy, breezy time at Mare Chiaro beach club. Here are some pics that I snapped earlier today. 

The beach town life is pretty amazing in Italy. Days are spent zipping around on bicycles fitted with wicker baskets, lounging under gorgeous cabanas, lunching on delicious seafood, walking along the beach with friends, fun dinners in the center of town, and lovely post-dinner walks. For sure another element of the Italian "bella vita."

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Straw anyone?

When my friend Sami and I were heading out to the beach this morning, we realized that we collectively had enough straw accessories to source a small Summer boutique.

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With love from Paraggi

Good morning! Just wanted to send you a quick hello. School's out for my most beloved creature/almost three-year-old, and thus, our summer journey of bite size proportion is underway. Our first stop this season is Paraggi to visit our very dear friends. We arrived yesterday afternoon, hit the beach right away, indulged in tons of focaccia, and stayed up really late (9:30p.m.) giggling. What love! Well my time's up, as the biggest little eyes have just opened and the brightest smile is beaming from across our room. Bite size kisses for everyone.

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Blue Seas

Hello there. Sorry I've been away. My terrible two-year old (his birthday was yesterday; we munched on meatballs and rosemary-roasted potatoes and he blew out candles atop a home-made brownie cake) spent the past week in Paraggi, a seaside town located just over a mile from Portofino. One would think that I would have shot tons of pictures, but when your travel companion is a two- year old, travels with more clothes and gadgets than Madonna on tour-I'll explain later, you're lucky if you put on your bathing suit right-side out. Which I failed to do one day. I did, however, manage to take a couple shots of the picturesque surroundings from my dear friend Sami's garden.

Back to my Madonna comment. A couple of my friends and I attended her Sticky and Sweet performance here in Milan two weeks ago. AMAZING. SHE'S 50. I'LL BE 33 on Thursday. She can perform for three hours in nosebleed-high heels while my collection of vertiginous babies are relegated to the cab ride and dinner table! Anyway, as we were leaving the stadium, we walked past a sea of pink trunks with the inital M stamped top and center and the words WARDROBE tumbling after. I was forced (scared that security would apprehend me, but none-the-less forced) to hug one. And while I was hugging, I read the words ambiance. The trunk was as big as my worktable, almost 3 x 7 feet. Those are a lot of candles. And her highness deserves every one of them!!!!!!!

Ok, this photo is totally gratuitous for those who love boats. This is the Maltese Falcon, a mega-sailing yacht created for venture capitalist Tom Perkins back in 2006. It was anchored in Paraggi Bay for about two days. I would run to the garden every morning to check if it was still there. Dreams of sunbathing on deck in my favorite Etro kaftans and bikinis. I know, I am totally delusional, but what's wrong with a totally extravagant daydream every now and then? Especially now that I am back home in Milan, armed with my camera, and headed outside to confront the 90.5 degrees of street style that await me.

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